This invention relates to bulk containers and equipment for receiving, transportation and dispensing of fluids. More particularly, the invention relates to systems for efficiently transferring highly corrosive fluids with respect to said drums.
Steel and plastic drums are utilized in many industries for transporting and storing various liquids which may be utilized as fuels, lubricants, ingredients, process fluids, or the like. In the majority of applications where fluids are transported and stored in drums, slight spills, although not desireable, are usually not hazardous to personnel nor of great concern.
In certain industries, for example, the semiconductor processing industry, extremely caustic and ultrapure chemicals such as hydrofluoric, sulfuric, and hydrochloric acids are commonplace and are transported and stored in such drums. Total and absolute containment during storage, transport, and handling are essential for protection of personnel and the environment. These chemicals require handling with materials that are chemically inert, that do not degrade from contact, and do not contaminate the chemicals. Chemically inert materials such as fluoropolymers, for example, PFA(perfluoroalkoxy) and PTFE(polytetrafluoroethylene) have been found to be suitable for contact with these ultra pure, highly corrosive, and toxic chemicals. Even when drums with such hazardous and caustic liquids are on-site and ready for use, great care must be taken in accessing the liquids so as not to expose personnel or the environment to such chemicals. Couplings used in making fluid connections must provide an extremely high level of containment integrity. Moreover, it is desireable to minimize the time and thus potential exposure that personnel have to these materials.
Plastic drums utilized in the semiconductor processing industry typically have standardized openings on the top of the drums. These openings comprise a pair of ports or bungholes, each having a fitting with a neck extending upward from the top wall of the drum approximately 1 to 1xc2xd inches. The ports may have internal or external threads. Several closures or bungs may be utilized with these standardized ports including standard bung closures which are threadably attached to the neck and utilize O-rings for sealing.
Access to the liquids in the plastic drums is typically accomplished by port bung connectors known as dispense heads that attach to drum inserts such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,298, issued to Grant et al., and assigned to FSI International Corporation and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,015, issued to Rauworth, and assigned to Fluorware, Inc. Also, see the dispense heads and closures as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,045,000 and 6,079,547. These four patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The bung connectors illustrated in these patents may have drum inserts with down hole tubes extending to the inside bottom of the drums for withdrawing the liquid in the drum and for providing a means for sensing the level of the liquid in the drum. An additional tube or port in the insert may be utilized for supplying air or other gas to replace the liquid as it is withdrawn or to allow escape of gas/air when the drum is filled. Although such dispense heads can and are used for filling the drums, such heads are not ideal for such use in that they take some time to attach to the drum bung. Where rapid filling of drums is needed such as at a chemical distribution facility, a coupling that attaches quicker and easier is desirable.
In a preferred embodiment, a quick connect adaptor has a first coupling that attaches to the bung of a plastic blow molded drum by way of pivotal retainer members and a second coupling that connects to a conventional dispense head. The bung has internal or external threads and may have a radially extending circumferential lip or other retainer member engagement structure. The first coupling provides a secure attachment that is quickly accomplished by manual operation. In a preferred embodiment, the pivotal retaining members pivot into and out of a retention position with the radially and circumferential extending lip. The retaining members are mechanically linked with a circular manual handle member to operate the pivoting of said plurality of retaining members. The pivotal members are preferably biased toward the retention position. These couplings will generally utilize O-rings for sealing.
A feature and advantage of the invention is that the coupling of the fluid flow lines may be accomplished with minimal manual motion, such as a xe2x85x9 of a turn of the handle, as opposed to several rotations of a conventional coupling.
A further feature and advantage is that drums may be filled in much less time than when utilizing conventional couplings.
A further feature and advantage is that the adaptor is relatively small, has a minimal number of components, and, other than O-rings, only one component is wetted by the fluids being handled.